Early Smartphones May Scar Young Minds

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

Owning a smartphone before age 13 is associated with poorer mind health and wellbeing in early adulthood, according to a global study of more than 100,000 young people.

Published recently in the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, the study found that 18- to 24-year-olds who had received their first smartphone at age 12 or younger were more likely to report suicidal thoughts, aggression, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation, and low self-worth.

The data also shows evidence that these effects of smartphone ownership at an early age are in large part associated with early social media access and higher risks of cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and poor family relationships by adulthood.

A team of experts from Sapien Labs, which hosts the world’s largest database on mental wellbeing, the Global Mind Project — where the data for this research was pooled from — are calling for urgent action to protect the mind health of future generations.

“Our data indicate that early smartphone ownership — and the social media access it often brings — is linked with a profound shift in mind health and wellbeing in early adulthood,” says lead author neuroscientist Dr Tara Thiagarajan, who is the founder and Chief Scientist of Sapien Labs.

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250906013448.htm